Roach, bug, and insect trap.



E. E. OETTINGER.

ROACH, BUG, AND INSECT TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. Il. 1916.

Patented Deo. 26, 1916.

EDWARD E. OETTINGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROACE, BUG, AND INSECT TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 191.6.

Application filed April 11, 1916. Serial No. 90,392.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. Onr- TINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Roach, Bug, and Insect Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to roach, bug and insect traps.

Heretofore in roach, bug and insect traps designed tocatch insects of differentsizes,

while the insects arel freely admitted regardless of size, diiiiculty has been experienced. in preventing vthem from coming out of the trap.

My object is to provide an kimproved roach, bug and insect trap which will facilitate the entry of insects of any size with the least possible friction or obstruction and .will be provided with-novel means to prevent the exit of the insects, once they are inside the trap. l i

My invention also contemplates the provision ofv a roach, bug and insecttrap of novel'construction which will be simple, inexpensive, easily opened Afor the discharge ofinsects which have been caught, and will directly guide the insects to the trap entrance.

My Vinsect trap is of such form that it will hold the bait in an improved manner and will rest securely and firmly on any object on which it may be placed, and when laid on its side, the entrance portion is so constructed that the bugs, roaches or insects. can readily crawl into the trap, but, however the trap may be disposed, the entrance portion is constructed in such novel manner that the bugs or insects are guided to the entrance aperture and when once inside the trap, cannot leave it.

The trap may berof any desired material, but is preferably of cardboard of a neutral tint, such as gray, as that color'appears to be most attractive, particularly to roaches.

The feature of my invention which prevents the roaches or insects from leaving the trap, once they have passed through kthe entrance aperture, consists of a plurality of strips, tongues or projecting parts of some light and flexible material, as for instance, tissue paper, which are adapted to close the entrance aperture effectively immediately after the insect has crawled into the aperture and past the flexible strips.

These strips being light and more or less delicate, aord no such obstruction as would bar the entry of the insect, as they are readily brushed aside by the roach, bug or insect when entering the trap, and after the insect has entered, these strips fall ltogether and form a. complete closure.

l am aware that modifications may be resorted to in carrying out the different features of my invention, and l do not limit myself to the details hereinafter described and shown in the drawings. In making the body Vor boX of wood or glass and, perhaps, of metal, it would not be formed from a blank such as hereinafter described, but as such it will be, preferably made of paper or cardboard. WVhile l prefer to use tissue paper strips or fingers, l do not limit myself to them, as threads or other devices might` be used as an effective substitute.`

The embodiment of. the invention which is hereinafter set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings is to be considered as illustrative, rather than restrictive, of the scope thereof.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is -a perspective; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section; Fig. 3, a detail of the tissue ribbon strip before being applied; Fig. il, a view of the blank for the body; Fig. 5, a similar view of the blank for the cap; Fig. 6, a detail perspective of the cap and barrier; and Fig. 7, a detail of the strip for the cap.

When the trap is made of cardboard, the body l may be formed from a blank such as shown in Fig. fand the cover or cap 2 from the blank appearing in Fig. 5. The complete body l is closed at its rear end 3 and its opposite end is closed by the cap 2 which detachably telescopes thereover by means 0f the flange 4. ylhe flange 4 is coinposed of the portions 4a of the blank, Fig. 5, which are connected together by a strip 5, Fig. 7, pasted thereto. The cap 2 is of pyramidal form, the sides of the pyramid portion 6 being formed by folding of the parts 6a of the blank, Fig. 5. rlhis pyramidal portion is circumscribed by the flange et and, when the cap is on the body, enters the open end of the body l. The interior of the cap is in the form of a hollow pyramid, as at 6b, and as the faces thereof lead directly to the edges of the cap which are substantially in line with the sides of the trap body l, it will be seen that when the llO trap is lying -onits'side, as in Figs. -1 and- 2, whichever one of the surfaces 6b is lowermost constitutes a sloping guide up which the insect, bug or roach can readily crawl, and once started on one of these surfaces 6b, the pyramidal form insures that the insect be directed to the aperture or entrance 7 through the apeX of the cap. y

Certain ones of the sides 6 are Vmade longer, by preference, than other sides thereof, as at 60, to form lips which assist in closing the entrance opening and afford a supv port for the closure now to be described.

My improved closure which permits the bugs and insects to pass through the entrance opening 7 into the interior of the box or body l, but prevents them from passing out through s-aid opening, consists of a plurality, preferably numerous, of flexible or e stitute an impenetrable barrier for the bugs or insects shouldl they attempt to pass out through the entrance' 'opening'.Y Preferably, the guard or barrier composed ofthe strips or members 8 is made of pieces of paper.,

'preferably tissue paper, brutas other means could be employed for this purpose, Ido not limit myself to the use of paper'strips. The barrierI 8 may beconveniently formed from a single strip of tissue paper 8a, Fig. 3, which is provided with numerous slits 8b and the strip is then-pasted around the apex of the cap, whereupon'the strips of tissue paper come together in a bunch and `form a barrier. Being of light material, the insects can readily crawl through, when entering the trap. f

The bait 9 may be of any desired material. I find that av Spanish onion, cnt in four parts, is well adaptedvfor use as a bait and is particularlyattractive to roaches. One of the four parts of the onion will be placed at kthe rear end of the body 1 and the walls of the latter will prevent the bait from rolling toward the entrance 7. My invention is not limited to any particular bait, nor to the manner in which it is held in the body l.

The cap 2 is frictionally fitted over the end of the body l so that it may be readily removed to discharge the insects which have beenV trapped.

' The uppermost projection or lip 6 supports the top layer of the strips 8 in a general horizontal position. The upper and lower-'lips 6 give'the bunch of strips 8 a Gopies of this patent may bevobtaineglY for ve cents each, by addressing WashingtomD. G. v Y

diffused or spread form-'and .saidV lips, principally the uppermost one, prevent the top layer of strips from falling down in case they become damp or wet. The support of thestrips 8 thus provided prevents an unnecessary weight on the back of the roach or insect which would impede his progress toward the interior of the trap. The upper lip also insures satisfactory closing of the opening 7 by the strips afterY the insect has passed through the opening but also so supports the-strips that easy entrance of a large water bug, for instance, is insured. .As

soon as such a bug enters the opening '7, it need not move straight ahead, but can enter the trap at the open sides to the right or left of said lips 62er, if the bug. is very large, the lip and space arrangement aforesaid permits its body to flattenor spreadv out and wedging and sticking of the bugis thus pre- 5 'i vented." Y Y f Y Having thas Yoloafniloai my intention, what I claim as new and de sire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

trance opening and provided guard or barrier for vSaid'ontnanoa opening Coniinlains a bnnoh of nninorons thin, tisane-like flexible strips or ineinbersf freely interlaced L with oaoh other adapted to ponnitfontry of the roaches or insectsinto the trapand toY v1. A roach or insect trap havingv an en-` ystrips freely interlaced with eachl otherl and :A e Contained Within the trap and adapted. to

'spread to permit roaches and insects to enter'the trap and to close to bar their exit therefrom. l

3.l roach or rinsect trap :having an entrance opening and lips thereat which .pro-

ject freely into chaines@ @f the trap. ,and a guard or barrier fork said entrance opening Comprising a bnnoh of nninononsthn'light,

flexible,l tissue strips projecting from said v lips and freely interlaced with each other and adaptedl'to permit passageof the roaches or insect into the trap and toclose together in intaraood. and .bundled ariansoinontto prevent exit therefrom, A

In testimony whereof, hereunto aiiX my signature. Y v

i EDWARD OETTINGE the Commissioner ofi'.Eateiit@A 

